Involuntary eye movement, a condition called nystagmus, causes the eyes to move in uncontrollable patterns. The eyes may move vertically, horizontally or in a circular motion. Some children have nystagmus at birth, but involuntary eye movement may...
The optic nerve serves as a link for communication between the eye and the brain. Vision occurs when light enters the eye and is sent to the retina for processing. The retina then sends impulses through the optic nerve to the parts of the brain...
Nystagmus is the involuntary movement of the eyes in rapid motion, back and forth, up and down and/or in a rotary fashion. Nystagmus is often a symptom of a disease or condition, or a side effect of certain medications. Nystagmus is associated...
Given that approximately 67 percent of neuroblastoma cases are centered in the abdomen, you should be on the lookout for abdomen-specific signs and symptoms of the condition. The most intrusive of these is abdomen pain, but your child may also...
Eyes normally move only in response to stimuli or direct commands from the brain. If severe, rapid involuntary eye movements may interfere with vision. Rapid eye movement, or REM, can occur as a natural process or as a symptom of disease. It may...
A congenital eye disease is a disease of the eye that is present at birth. There are several conditions that can cause congenital eye diseases, including Down syndrome, dysplasia syndrome and chondrodysplasia syndrome. In some cases, patients may...
Phenytoin sodium, better known as Dilantin, is an anti-epileptic or anti-convulsant used to treat seizure activity by altering impulses in the brain associated with seizures. In particular, Dilantin is indicated as a treatment for two types of...
The retina in each eye is composed of photoreceptors, each designed to detect specific visual stimuli, for example, light, darkness, or color. To detect objects in the environment, the eyes move to place the object on the fovea, the part of the...
An ear infection, also called otitis, is caused by a bacterial, viral or fungal infection. Ear infections are especially prevalent in young children. In fact, the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders reports that 75...
Temazepam is a benzodiazepine medication prescribed for the treatment of insomnia. It is generally taken on a short-term basis. When discontinued after a long-term period of use, the dosage must be slowly decreased to avoid medical complications....
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive autoimmune disease that leads to the destruction of nerves throughout the central nervous system. This disease can affect adults of any age but most commonly affects people between 20 and 40 years of age....
Epilepsy is a neurological disease stemming from a deregulation of brain signaling. Nerve cells within the brain, called neurons, commonly communicate with each other through cell junctions called synapses. One nerve cell sends a chemical signal...
Neuroblastoma is a cancer that forms in nerve cells. According to the American Cancer Society, neuroblastoma affects immature cells or cells that are still developing and typically forms in the nerves of the adrenal glands. Adrenal glands sit on...
Labyrinthitis is an inflammation of the labyrinth in the inner ear. This delicate structure can become infected by a bacteria or virus. Labyrinthitis can also occur due to an autoimmune disorder. Common symptoms include dizziness, hearing loss,...
All vitamins have specific functions in the body; some help to support eye health. The National Eye Institute's Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) and the Blue Mountains Eye Study (BMES) are two of the largest studies related to eye health....
Numbness refers to a strange sensation in which people cannot feel certain body parts. Numbness can affect the hands, legs, arms or feet. Sometimes, problems in the brain or spinal cord can lead to numbness in different parts of the body....
Your child's eyes and brain work together in order to provide her with sight. Beginning at birth, her ability to move her eyes back and forth will start to develop. However, you may notice abnormal eye movements during her childhood that can...
Young children and infants can't tell parents about vision problems and, in most cases, when a child has an eye problem from birth, he may not know his eyesight could appear differently. Checkups with a pediatrician may not detect subtle eye...
Oxcarbazepine is the generic name for Trileptal, an anti-seizure medication that is prescribed to treat partial (focal) seizures associated with epilepsy. The designation of partial seizures, according to the National Institutes of Health, refers...
Some people experience episodes of uncontrolled eye movement, causing the eyes to shift up and down, side to side or in a circular pattern. Causes include eye disorders, head injury or stroke, but in some cases, doctors cannot determine a cause....
The human body contains about 25 g of magnesium, with half found in the bones and the remainder distributed throughout the organs, nerves and blood. This mineral is essential for every major biological process. Magnesium and calcium work in...
The Mayo Clinic reports that common symptoms of alcoholism are both mental and physical. These symptoms include: inability to limit the amount of alcohol consumed, craving a drink, having a high tolerance to alcohol's effects, and experiencing...
Nystagmus refers to a condition in which the eyes shift back and forth rapidly. MedlinePlus says that the eyes can shift up and down (vertical nystagmus), side to side (horizontal nystagmus) or in circles (rotary nystagmus). Sometimes, this...
A healthy diet is as important for eye care as it is for the rest of your body. According to Eye Smart, an informational site developed by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the time to think about your diet and the vitamins required for...
A seizure occurs when the brain's electrical system demonstrates an overload of unusual activity---the result can be as slight as a muscle twitch or can involve uncontrollable thrashing and loss of consciousness. One of the most common diseases...
Eye jerking, a condition known as nystagmus, is a condition that may occur in one or both eyes. These involuntary eye movements may stem from neurological conditions, inner ear problems, injury or medications. Some people may have a congenital...
Migraines are severe headaches which occur sporadically in some people. It is not entirely understood what causes migraines. One kind of atypical migraine, known as a hemiplegic migraine, involves partial paralysis of the body. This disease can...
Platelets help clot your child's blood, and a normal platelet count ranges between 150,000 to 400,000 platelets per microliter (mcL). When a platelet count is below normal, it's called thrombocytopenia; when the count is above normal, it's...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that at the end of 2006, more than 1.1 million people in the United States had HIV. As HIV progresses into AIDS, patients can develop neuropsychological conditions, such as delirium;...
A coma is a state of prolonged unconsciousness. Brain functions are at their lowest level of alertness. A comatose patient cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to pain or light, does not have sleep-wake cycles, and does not take voluntary...
